The Glow of Fatherhood?
by IvoryRose888
Summary: Sometimes, Maka has to remember that this whole pregnancy thing is new to the both of them, and Soul has to remember not to crush the loves of his life in the midst of his joy! (Adult!SoulxMaka) ((Officially to expanding this into a series of one-shots. Thanks for the support, guys!))
1. The Glow

"Soul!" Maka cried, blushing as passing shoppers threw questioning glances at the pair. "If I had known you were going to act like this, I would've left you home!" She huffed, knowing full well that she really hadn't had much of a choice. Soul had insisted on coming baby shopping with her, claiming that he wanted to make sure she purchased the "appropriate" apparel for their unborn bundle of joy. 

"Soul, stop it!" Maka bit out fiercely, grinning apologetically at the families passing by. As she sat grumbling on a mall bench, her glowing husband was crouched on the concrete in front of her, his face only inches from her slightly protruding abdomen. His palms were planted on her belly, and his eyes were wide and glistening, matching his flushed cheeks. 

"But Maka!" He protested. "I felt the baby kick! I swear!" 

She sighed and informed him, "You couldn't have, Soul. I told you that already! I'm barely three months along. A baby doesn't normally start kicking until the fourth or fifth month." She rambled, exasperated that he so rarely listened to her. 

"But Makaaa, I SWEAR I felt it!" He whined. 

The meister sighed and fumed to herself, "This is what I get for resting for two minutes…Next time he tries to put his hand on my hip or stomach before this baby is born, he's getting a good chop to the head…" She scowled uncomfortably as he continued to gush, all too aware of the speculative mall-goers slowly going by. 

After a little while, an older couple strolled over to them, both grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't worry." The wife commented. "He'll get over it in a few months!" She smiled sweetly at the beaming snow-capped man by her side. Her eyes shined, revealing the fond recollections the couple shared. 

Maka gave her a light smile and replied through her teeth, "I certainly hope so. I don't know if I can take 7 more months of this!" 

The couple exchanged chuckles and moved on, leaving Maka to deal with a still gawking Soul. She watched him for a moment, allowing a small grin to crawl onto her lips as she noted the pure elation in his features. Swiftly reaching down, she gently ruffled his ivory locks, much like he used to do to her in their youth. Soul beamed up at her from beneath his mass of wild hair and declared, "We're gonna have the cutest kid in Death City!" 

"I don't know." Maka started with mock consideration. "Lily Star is pretty adorable." She claimed, referring to their best friends' daughter. 

"Well then, our little Soul Junior-or Little Maka Junior!" He cried as Maka gave him a menacing glare. "Our little…Miracle." Soul smiled, hoping he'd appeased her. "Will just have to be cuter!" He gushed in a babying tone. Maka merely rolled her eyes and giggled in reply, looking on as her husband basked in the glow of early fatherhood.


	2. Breaking the News

Maka Albarn stood atop the cool beige tiles of her bathroom, her hands shaking and her eyes wide and bright as she stared at the device poised between her forefinger and thumb. It was amazing, how something so small, like a stripe of pink, could change their lives so drastically. But, she thought to herself, it was also amazing how something so small, so soft, so innocent, the very being that the tiny strip symbolized, would turn their lives upside down, hopefully for the better. Bringing her free hand to her trembling lips, she sat heavily on the toilet seat lid, her energy suddenly drained out of her when the image of the one responsible for this phenomenon flashed across her mind.

Would he be angry? Furious, even? Was he ready for a kid yet?

Maybe he would be happy! Ecstatic! Maybe the news of her pregnancy would lower those testosterone levels and allow the sensitive daddy instincts to kick in.

Whatever the case, Maka new she had to tell him, of that there was no doubt, but how to break it to him was the question. She pondered this as she remained in the silent lavatory, her jade eyes gleaming with unshed tears as she though of how to share this new joy with the love of her life.

* * *

"Maka! I'm home!" She started a bit when he strode through their apartment door, excited energy flowing through her. She beamed up as him and closed her book, patting the cushion next to her. A tired smile on his lips, he flopped next to her on their scarlet love seat and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his nose in the hollow of her neck.

"Hello, Lovebug." She cooed as she reached over to stroke his wild locks.

"Don't call me that." He muttered into her neck, bringing his face out so his eyes could meet hers. "Cupcake." He grinned devilishly as her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Touché." She rested her head on his shoulder, and, biting back a grin, asked, "Hey, Soul?" He grunted in return as he dozed against the back of the couch, his hand on her thigh. "Could you, um, go check the oven for me?" Her hands began to sweat, and she watched his face from beneath her bangs.

"Why don't you?" He grumbled, moving to lay himself across the couch. He sprawled out, his head in her lap, and his eyes closed before she could protest.

"Well, uh, b-because..." Crap. It was all ruined! She should've though about all of this a lot more. Biting her lip, she mumbled, "S-Soul...we, uh, have a bun in the oven."

"Sounds good. What else?" He replied without even cracking an eye. She stared, dumbstruck. Was he going to be this offhanded...?

"Soul, I said we have a bun in the oven!"

This time a single crimson iris peeked out at her from between heavy lids. "I heard you the first time. Sounds good. Are you making soup, too?"

Her face heated up as she watched his eye slide closed. Did he think this was some kind of a joke? How idiotic of her to think he'd actually care-

"Hey." He reached up and tenderly pulled at one of her pigtails, searching her face with puzzlement in his usually languid eyes. "What're you so worked up about? Did you not want to make soup? Did you want me to? I mean, just a bun is cool if you're not hungry or something..."

She suddenly erupted with laughter, the unshed tears spilling over in hoards onto his face and hair and her shirt as this new-found mirth flowed out of her. Could it be that he really...?

"M-Maka?!" He stuttered, sitting up with lightening speed, and she realized that he must have thought she was crying. "Maka, baby, what's-"

"N-nothing's wrong!" She sighed as he stared at her, his eyes wide and a frown on his lips. "It's just...you don't know what 'a bun in the oven means,' do you?"

"Something other than food, I'm guessing."

Smiling and shaking her head, Maka rose from beside him and went in to the bathroom, returning a minute later with a small stick in between her forefinger and thumb. She grinned when she detected Soul's gazed bearing down on her; he knew exactly what this metaphor meant.

"Soul-"

"You're having a baby." He remained on the couch, hunched over, staring at her, then the stick, then back to her again. "We're gonna be parents."

"Y-yeah..." The color drained from her face, the elation gone as she absorbed his expression, his posture, the world suddenly tipping beneath her as her pinching doubts became a soul-sucking reality. He was disappointed, shocked, unhappy, even. They had options, she reasoned, so-

"I'm..." She suddenly found he was still speaking, more to himself than to her. "I'm gonna be a father...I...I'm gonna be a dad!" Tears sprang to her eyes once again when a broad grin broke out across his lips, his crimson eyes gleaming as he leaped from the sofa and spun her around in his arms, tears flowing freely between the both of them now. "I'm gonna be a daddy!" He cried over and over again, until a neighbor banged on the door to ask if they were alright.

"We're more than alright!" Soul assured the perplexed man. "We're gonna be parents!" The moment he slammed the door, he spun around and beamed at her, but the ecstasy vanished as quickly as it had come. He slowly sank to the carpet, tears of a different sort threatening to break loose as he stared at his hands.

"Babe..." Maka stepped over to him and lowered to the floor, placing a small hand stop his larger, calloused one. "What's wrong?" That fear from before nipped at her again.

"What if...what if I tainted our kid?" His voice broke on that bitter word, and his sharp teeth grabbed his bottom lip as individual droplets snaked down his cheeks. "What if...what if they're screwed up, like me? With black blood and a little demon inside their head? I...I don't know if I could live with that, or live with myself, knowing that I ruined an innocent little baby with my messed up mind and blood..." A small sob of contrition escaped from between his lips; his face fell into his palms as his body began to tremble.

"Well, then." Maka whispered, placing a hand in his back and the other on his arm. "Our little one will just have to be as strong as his or her daddy." She smiled softy at him when he raised his tear-stained countenance. "And I'm willing to bet they'll inherit that from you, whether or not the black blood has any kind of bearing. Our baby's going to be fine, Soul. We're going to be fine." She rubbed his back slowly and gently squeezed his arm, guiding him into her embrace with no resistance. He settled with his head in her lap, his eyes unable to meet hers as the guilt leaked from between his eyelids. She brushed the salty drops away with her thumbs, kissed his forehead and his lips, and murmured, "We're going to be alright."


End file.
